1 cup raw cashews (note: if you don't have a high-powered blender such as a NutriBullet or Vitamix, soak the cashews in water for several hours then drain them before using; this step will make the sauce much creamier)

1 cup water (plus more to reach desired consistency)

3 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 heaping teaspoon smoked paprika (plus more to shake on top, if desired)

½ teaspoon onion powder (heaping)

1 large clove garlic

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ cup nutritional yeast

Sriracha (optional, and to taste)

Instructions

In a high-powered blender, blend the cashews, 1 cup of water, and all of the other ingredients (except for the Sriracha) until smooth and creamy.

Transfer the mixture to a sauce pan. Over a low heat, use a whisk to stir constantly so mixture won't burn, adding water in ¼-cup increments until desired consistency is reached (about 5 to 10 minutes). Add Sriracha to taste, if using.

Pour over nachos (or into a bowl if using as a dip). Shake a little more smoked paprika on top, if desired. Serve immediately.

Creamy, garlicky, herby, yummy. Serve with your favorite freshly made salad.
Note: Be sure to make a batch of cashew parmesan cheese before you start!
Hint: Love green peas? Cook some up and stir them in at the end. They're perfect for this recipe.

Return the hot pot you cooked the pasta in to the stovetop. Over a low heat, melt the plant-based butter into the olive oil. Saute minced garlic in the mixture until just golden (30 to 40 seconds or so). Be extremely careful not to burn the garlic as it will definitely ruin the pasta!

Shake in the flour and whisk everything together. Pour in the broth and plant-based milk slowly while continuing to whisk together until mixture is smooth. Turn up the heat just a bit. Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture constantly until it's thick and creamy, around 5 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat, and stir in the cashew parmesan cheese and thyme (reserving a little for garnish if you choose) until smooth.

Add the cooked pasta and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with reserved thyme. Serve immediately.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a loaf pan (you can grease and flour the pan or just use cooking spray).

Cream the sugar and plant-based butter together in a large bowl.

Mix in the flax eggs. (I use a hand mixer for this, but you could just stir vigorously.)

Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon (the mixture will be stiff until the next step).

Stir in the grated apple, lemon juice, and lemon zest (now the mixture should be wet), and then add the walnuts, making sure everything is mixed thoroughly.

Pour mixture into prepared loaf pan. Shake on decorative sugar, if using. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool for 10–15 minutes or so before turning bread out of pan onto a wire rack. Cool completely before cutting (okay, you won't be able to wait that long, but give it a few minutes or it'll fall apart as you try to cut). Serve warm or cold, and freeze the leftovers.

Rosemary and garlic make this comfort food even more comforting.Note: Truthfully, you hardly need measurements to make mashed potatoes. Throw in more potatoes if more than two or three of you are eating, and chop up more rosemary if you do. Add as much coconut milk as you need to get the consistency you want, and salt and pepper to taste. (You get the idea.)

This is it: the recipe for anyone who thinks they can’t give up meat.Important notes: 1. This recipe makes an 8″ x 8″ pan of lasagna (six pieces, or four if you’re Garfield). 2. You’ll need to make one batch each of cashew ricotta and cashew parmesan cheese before you begin. 3. You can absolutely use your favorite sauce from a jar. If you want to go all out, make your own — or make my classic marinara.

Make one batch of cashew ricotta and one batch of cashew parmesan cheese.

To the cashew ricotta, stir in the parsley, basil, and cashew parmesan cheese. Cover and refrigerate while you complete the rest of the steps.

In a pan, sauté diced onion in a little olive oil or water over medium heat, just until it's translucent. Mix in the meatless crumbles and cook according to package instructions.

Cook 8 lasagna noodles according to package instructions. Important: Unless you managed to find lasagna noodles meant for an 8" x 8" pan, you'll need to cut each one to fit. Be sure to cut each noodle with only a single slice, holding on to every "scrap." When you're doing the layering in step 5, you'll put two "scraps" together to form one full noodle when you run out of the longer pieces. (See? No waste!)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread ¼ cup of marinara in the bottom of the pan (so the noodles won't stick). Place three noodles in the pan, slightly overlapping them. Going all the way to the edges (on everything you layer), spread a heaping ¾ cup of cashew ricotta over the noodles using a spoon, spatula, or your very clean fingers. Spread around ⅓ of the meatless crumbles/onion mixture on top of that. Spread ½ cup of marinara on top of that. Repeat these steps three times, ending with three noodles. Top those noodles with the remaining ½ cup marinara. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Let stand about 10 minutes before shaking more cashew parmesan on top and serving (with your favorite salad!).

Notes

1. This recipe makes an 8″ x 8″ pan of lasagna (six pieces, or four if you can really put away lasagna). 2. You’ll need to make one batch each of cashew ricotta and cashew parmesan cheese before you begin. Get the recipes at APB: Eats. 3. You can use homemade sauce or your favorite from a jar, or make my marinara recipe from APB: Eats.

The pumpkin not only acts as an egg replacer, but it also creates a depth of flavor in these crowd-pleasing cookies, explains Kristy Turner, author of this recipe and the book But I Could Never Go Vegan!Photo by APB: Eats

The pumpkin not only acts as an egg replacer, but it also creates a depth of flavor in these crowd-pleasing cookies, explains Kristy Turner, author of this recipe and the book "But I Could Never Go Vegan!"

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, flaxseed meal, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg, and cardamom in a large bowl. Set aside.

Use a hand mixer (or whisk very quickly) to mix the pumpkin puree, vegan butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, and almond butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Use a tablespoon or ice cream scoop to scoop roughly 2 tablespoons of dough and place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Wet or lightly grease the bottom of a measuring cup and gently press down on each cooking to flatten. If you want them more evenly shaped, wet your fingers and gently form them into circles.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until firm with lightly browned edges. Cool on the baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before serving (or not -- they're too good to wait)!

Eggs: higher in fat, calories, and cholesterol than tofu — the USDA won’t even allow them to be labeled “nutritious” or “healthy.” Hmm.Important note: To get that distinctive egg flavor in your tofu “egg” salad, you must use Indian black salt (also called kala namak). What is this, you ask? Read all about it, here.Tip: Tofu “egg” salad is easy to make and adaptable to anyone’s taste: include dill or sweet pickles, paprika, scallions, and/or celery. Or omit them all if you’re a purist.

To get that distinctive egg flavor in your tofu "egg" salad, you must use Indian black salt (also called kala namak) -- regular table salt won't do it. This salad is easy to make and adaptable to anyone's taste: include dill or sweet pickles, paprika, scallions, and/or celery. Or omit them all if you're a purist.

In a separate bowl using an electric mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add flax eggs and beat until mixture is well combined.

With a wooden spoon, stir flour mixture into butter mixture until a very stiff dough is formed. (Don't be alarmed at how stiff the dough is!) Stir in chopped walnuts and chocolate chips.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Using your hands, form dough into 2 slightly flattened logs (make each log around 12 inches long and 2 inches wide, and you'll have it right). Using a sifter, dust each log with confectioners sugar.

Bake logs for 30-35 minutes (they should be slightly firm to the touch). Remove from oven (but do not turn oven off!) and cool on the baking sheet for around 5 minutes.

Gently slide the biscotti logs onto a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, gently cut them diagonally into ¾-inch slides being careful not to let them break. Place the biscotti, cut sides down, back on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes (until they're crisp).

Cool biscotti on a rack. Keep in an airtight container (or freeze them if you won't eat them all in about a week).

You don’t need dairy or eggs to enjoy this Mexican-inspired favorite. In fact, you barely need recipe measurements.Note: If you’re following this recipe and oven-roasting the corn, be sure to leave it in its husk. It’s the best (and easiest) way to seal in the flavor.

11-ounce can organic mandarin oranges in water (drained, but with mandarin water from can reserved!)

¼ cup olive oil

2 to 3 tablespoons agave syrup (or your favorite sweetener)

2 teaspoons white vinegar

½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

Black pepper, to taste

⅛ to ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, but a nice touch)

Instructions

Combine almonds and sugar in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir frequently until sugar is melted and almonds brown (do not allow to burn). Remove almonds from heat, spread them onto wax paper in a single layer, and allow to cool.

In a large bowl, toss together Romaine hearts, celery, scallions, fresh parsley, and mandarin oranges. Set salad aside.

Be sure to store the candied almonds and the dressing in separate containers, and assemble the salad only when you're ready to serve it (otherwise you'll have soggy lettuce and chewy -- not crunchy -- almonds)! The dressing should be stored in the refrigerator until you're ready to use it.

The rich flavor of eggplant with sweet onions and tangy, creamy sauce -- you're all set for summer (or any of the other seasons). This recipe makes around 6 burgers, depending on how thick you make them.

Combine mayo and horseradish mustard, whisking together until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so that flavors will meld. (You can make this a day ahead.)

For the eggplant burgers:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, drizzle olive oil over eggplant cubes and toss to fully coat.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and spread eggplant cubes on baking sheets in single layer. Roast for 30 minutes, tossing cubes once halfway through to ensure even cooking. When the cubes are very tender, remove from oven and transfer to a large bowl. Mash the eggplant cubes with a potato masher or pulse a few times in a food processor until eggplant is, well, a big pile of mush and no big chunks remain.

Stir scallions, garlic, parsley, nutritional yeast, salt, and black pepper into eggplant mixture. Stir in 1 cup of panko to start. Mixture should be firm enough to hold together when making the burgers. If necessary, add the remaining ¼ cup of panko to stiffen the mixture (I find I almost always need it). Taste mixture and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Cover mixture and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so it can firm up. (Note: If you're planning to top the burgers with caramelized onions, I suggest getting the onions on the stove at this point so they're ready around the time your burgers are done.)

Divide mixture into about 6 parts, depending on how much you've got and how thick you like your burgers; I generally make mine around an inch thick. Using either a hamburger press (I've got my mother's Tupperware one from the '70s!) a biscuit cutter, or your hands, form the eggplant mixture into burgers. Make sure to pack them tightly if you're using your hands or a biscuit cutter instead of a press! Let burgers rest a few minutes before cooking.

Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil to a pan and place over a medium-high heat (do not let the oil smoke). With a spatula, place burgers into pan, but do not crowd them. (These fellas are delicate; leave space so you can get your spatula in there to flip them. I cook only 2 at a time.) Allow burgers to cook until you can see them getting golden on one side. With your spatula, gently turn burgers over and allow to brown on the other side. When the second side looks golden brown, you should be able to flip them more easily. Continue to cook burgers until they're as dark/crispy on the outside as you like.

Remove burgers from pan and place on your favorite egg-/dairy-free buns (toast the buns if you like). Top with caramelized onions (or raw onions if you prefer), lettuce, tomato, and horseradish-mustard mayo.

Notes

This recipe calls for around 2½ pounds of eggplant because eggplant vary so greatly in size. I suggest weighing them at the market to make sure you're starting with the right weight. If you're unable to get a weight and really have no idea what you're working with, I suggest adding seasonings in smaller increments to start and building up (based on your taste) as you go.

One potato, two potato, three potato, four… (As in, make as many as you like.)Tip: You can figure roughly one and a half large potatoes per person, but this doesn’t take into account how addictive French fries are! Might want to add an extra potato or two depending on appetites.

You can figure roughly one and a half large potatoes per person, but this doesn't take into account how addictive French fries are! Might want to add an extra potato or two depending on appetites. Note that three to four large potatoes will take two baking sheets.

It’s thick, it’s creamy, it’s easy to put together. Now go make lasagna.Note: Makes a little over two cups.Tip: Want it soy-free? Replace the tofu with one cup of raw cashews. See Notes section of recipe for instructions.

In a food processor, blend the cashews, ¼ cup of the crumbled tofu, lemon juice, and garlic until mixture becomes a thick paste.

Add the remaining crumbled tofu to the food processor, in batches if necessary, blending until the mixture is creamy and well combined (you may need to scrape down the sides of the food-processor bowl a couple times).

Blend in the salt. Taste and add more if desired, but keep in mind that a recipe that calls for ricotta -- such as lasagna or stuffed shells -- may also call for adding additional salt; you may want to go easy here.

Notes

You can make your cashew ricotta soy-free by replacing the tofu with 1 cup of raw cashews. Since you won't have the water that's in the tofu to make blending easy, be sure to soak the 2 cups of raw cashews in water for at least an hour or more. Then drain the water and blend everything according to instructions.

West African peanut stew — also known as Ghanian groundnut stew, nkatenkwan, or maafe — is hearty, delicious, and packed with protein.Tips: Be creative with your ingredients, garnishes, and the sides you serve it over (pictured here served over black japonica rice; see the recipe for other suggestions). You can make this dish the day before or the morning of — a night (or an afternoon) in the fridge gives the flavors a chance to meld.

Heat oil in a deep saute pan or a large pot. Add chopped onions and saute for five minutes, stirring once or twice so the onions don't stick.

Add the celery, garlic, ginger, one teaspoon of salt, and black pepper (to taste) and cook for another minute or two, stirring to make sure the garlic doesn't burn

Add the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes with their juices, coconut milk, tomato paste, peanut butter, and hot sauce (to taste), if using. Use a wooden spoon to gently break up the peanut butter and stir it into the mixture.

Add the sweet potatoes, stir everything together, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Mix in the kale and cook for 10 minutes more. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Serve alone as a stew, or over couscous, quinoa, millet, farro, or white, black, or wild rice. Top with your favorite garnishes.

“Cacciatore” means “hunter” in Italian. (You mushroom hunters will be especially excited about this dish.)Tip: Take five minutes to make a batch of cashew Parmesan cheese (pictured) — delicious sprinkled on top! Serve pasta with a side salad and your favorite rustic bread.

"Cacciatore" means "hunter" in Italian. (Mushroom hunters will be especially excited about this dish!) Tip: Take five minutes to make a batch of cashew Parmesan cheese (recipe below) -- delicious sprinkled on top! Serve pasta with a side salad and your favorite rustic bread.

Author: APB: Eats

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ cup vegetable broth

32 ounces mushrooms, sliced

2 cups finely chopped yellow onion

1 cup finely chopped celery

1 cup finely chopped carrot

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup (packed) chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 large bay leaf (do not omit this!)

2 teaspoons fine sea salt (plus more to taste)

Black pepper (to taste)

Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

28-ounce can organic Italian-style peeled whole tomatoes

8-ounce can tomato sauce

½ cup dry red wine

1 pound campanelle pasta (or pasta of choice -- see Notes)

Instructions

Heat olive oil and vegetable broth in a 5- or 6-quart pot. Add mushrooms and stir to coat. Cook mushrooms down for 5 to 7 minutes on a medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Pour the Italian-style peeled whole tomatoes into a medium-sized bowl and use your hands (or a potato masher or a wooden spoon) to break them up.

Add the Italian tomatoes, tomato sauce, and red wine to the pot of vegetables. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer on low for 50 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and vegetables are tender.

Cook pasta following package direction time for al dente pasta. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Remove the bay leave from the mushroom cacciatore, pour over pasta, and toss to coat.

2 teaspoons coconut oil or vegetable oil (note: if you don't want your cookies to have the faint taste of coconut, go for the flavorless vegetable oil)

Sea salt (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a small bowl, make your flax eggs by combining the ground flax and water. Set aside; the mixture will become goopy like an egg within a few minutes (you may need to stir once or twice).

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the vegan butter and sugar together for several minutes until the mixture becomes pale in color, creamy, and almost fluffy in appearance. Use a spatula to wipe down sides of bowl as necessary.

Add the vanilla and flax eggs, and beat for another minute until everything is combined.

In a separate bowl, sift together the cake flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. (If you don't have a sifter, use a whisk.)

Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Beat on a low speed until just combined.

Cover the dough and refrigerate for one hour. (If you leave the dough in the fridge longer than this (or even overnight), make sure to take it out and let it come down a bit in temperature. You want the dough to be cool enough to handle but not so cold that the cookies won't spread in the oven.)

Scoop out heaping tablespoons of dough, and roll into balls. Place balls on parchment-paper-lined baking sheets and flatten into disks with your hand. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until cookies are pale on top and lightly golden on the bottom. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Line a cold baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a double boiler over a medium heat (or in the microwave in 40-second intervals), melt the chocolate chips and your oil of choice together. Dip cookies about halfway into chocolate and transfer to the baking sheet.

Sprinkle cookies with a bit of sea salt (if desired; to please everyone, I like to do half with sea salt, half without), and transfer entire baking sheet to refrigerator so the chocolate will harden and cool quickly.

Store cookies in air-tight container, preferably in the fridge (particularly if it's warm in your home).

Notes

These cookies are extremely versatile. You can add mini vegan chocolate chips to the batter if you prefer that to dipping them after they're baked. If you're not a chocolate fan (gasp!), leave it off and enjoy them plain. You can try dipping the cookie-dough disks into a mixture of cinnamon and sugar before baking for a snickerdoodle-esque twist. Or, try throwing some wild blueberries into the batter. Weeee!

Cook soba noodles as directed on package. Be sure to rinse noodles in cold water after draining.

In a large pan, heat reserved ⅓ cup vegetable broth. Add carrot, bell pepper, broccoli, and cauliflower to pan, and cook over a medium heat for 7 minutes, or until vegetables are just tender (don't overcook -- unless you have a thing for mushy veggies).

In a large serving bowl, toss together the noodles, cooked vegetables, and sauce. Top with crushed roasted peanuts, diced scallions, and chopped fresh cilantro. Serve immediately. (Alternatively, you can serve this as a cold dish. Before adding toppings, simply cover and refrigerate for an hour or two.)

Notes

This dish will easily serve a family of four (well, depending on everyone's appetites). You can always halve this dish if you prefer, or make the full recipe and have cold soba noodles for lunch the next day!

Slice tofu into bite-sized cubes and place in a plastic storage container.

Place all of the remaining ingredients in a bowl and whisk together with a fork. (Tip: If you're unsure of how much salt and pepper to add to the marinade, skip it -- you can shake salt and pepper directly onto the tofu once it's in the pan cooking.)

Pour half of the marinade over the tofu (reserve the other half) and lightly toss to coat all the pieces. Seal the storage container and marinate for 20 to 30 minutes.

Drain tofu, returning the marinade from the tofu to the reserved marinade.

Add a few spritzes of olive oil to a large pan and place over high heat. Cook tofu a few minutes on each side until golden brown (if you skipped adding salt and pepper to the marinade, now's the time to shake some on the tofu).

Remove pan from heat and allow tofu to rest for 1 minute. Pour reserved marinade over tofu in hot pan, and quickly toss to coat.

Transfer tofu to a serving dish and serve immediately.

Notes

Tofu is made with water and packed in water, so it's crucial that you drain and press it before attempting to cook with it. (I avoid this step by buying vacuum-packed extra-firm tofu whenever possible. Trader Joe's carries it as of the time of this recipe post!) If you can't find vacuum-packed (and don't have a tofu press), simply line a plate with paper towels, place the tofu block on the paper towels, and put another layer of towels on top of the tofu. Put another plate or a cutting board on top of the paper towels. Weigh it down with heavy books or cans. Drain the water that has been pressed out of the tofu every thirty minutes or so.

2 tablespoons white wine or cooking wine (this adds flavor and keeps ingredients from sticking while avoiding excessive oil; if you don't have wine, you can use water)

1 teaspoon olive oil (or avoid oil altogether by adding more water or white wine to keep ingredients from sticking)

1½ cups yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups banana, diced

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon coriander

½ to 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

Instructions

For the dough:

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of flour and salt.

Add the shortening cubes to the flour mixture, cutting it in until the dough is crumbly. You can do this with two knives or with your fingertips.

Add the plant-based milk, and with a wooden spoon, gently mix everything together. If necessary, you may add another tablespoon or so of flour -- just enough so that you can form the dough into a ball that's not overly sticky and wet.

With your hands, gather the dough into a ball and knead gently several times so that it holds together.

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (see Notes). While the dough is chilling, you can make the empanada filling.

For the filling:

Heat white wine or cooking wine and oil (if using) in a large skillet, then add onions. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes, or until soft and translucent.

Add beans and garlic, reduce heat to medium, and cook for about 3 minutes.

Gently stir in bananas, cayenne pepper, coriander, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook 2 to 3 more minutes. You want the bananas to soften and the spices to become fragrant. Taste mixture and add the additional ½ teaspoon salt (or add to taste) if needed.

Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

For the empanadas

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Remove dough from refrigerator and divide in half. Re-wrap one half with plastic wrap and return it to the refrigerator.

With a knife, divide the half of the dough ball you're working with into 8 equal pieces.

Quickly roll one of the dough pieces into a ball with your hands. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the ball to a 4½ to 5-inch round. (Be sure your surface and your rolling pin stay lightly floured so the dough doesn't stick; I keep the flour next to me to add a small pinch as I need it.)

Fill the dough round with approximately 2 tablespoons of filling, and brush edges of dough round with water.

Fold dough round in half, press to close, and crimp edges with a floured fork to seal (if your fork gets sticky, dip in flour after each crimp you make). If you're a perfectionist (I'm a perfectionist), use a fluted pastry wheel or sharp knife to cut excess dough from the crimped edge to create a more streamlined curve.

Transfer to the parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining 7 dough balls and filling. Transfer baking sheet of 8 empanadas to the refrigerator and repeat the whole process with the other half of the dough you have wrapped in the refrigerator.

Chill both trays of empanadas on the baking sheets for at least 10 minutes before baking (they can be chilled overnight if you are making ahead of time, just be sure to cover them). Bake empanadas for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

This dough will make 16 empanadas, and can be made ahead of time! If you're not using the dough immediately, divide in half, wrap each ball in plastic wrap, place in refrigerator, and use the following day. Alternatively, place dough in freezer bags and store in freezer until ready to use.